...the 'barbed' talons are such effective tools for grasping fish that, on occasion, an Osprey may be unable to release a fish that is heavier than expected. This can cause the Osprey to be pulled into the water, where it may either swim to safety or succumb to hypothermia and drown.

The second spot (soda creek), in Castle Crags State park. A lot more shady, my favorite of the two. Stayed here until dark.

Then drove off to Samwel Cave where Cam and Andy were waiting for us.

After a short hike in, we finished our beers and strapped on our helmets, kneepads, and harnesses.

Here is Timmy at the locked entrace of the cave, contemplating the squeeze.

After crawling in and down... the cave opens up to multiple rooms.

...Timmy looking for nice alcoves to hot box...

We thought it was going to be cold in the cave, but after running around trying to find the "pit" to no avail, we were muddy and sweaty and tired.

The Wintu Indians of the area believed that grizzly bear spirits lived in the cave and they referred to it as "Sa-Wal" or "Grizzly Bear Cave," a holy place where one could get magic strength by bathing in the pools located deep inside. Wintu men would go to this cave to pray to the Spirits of the Great Bear for strength or bravery before a hunt or a fight. A Wintu legend about the cave goes like this.

A long time ago, three girls went to an old woman and asked her where they could find good, strong men. She told them to go to the cave and bathe in the pool. There they would find brave men. And so, the three maidens went to the cave, but in the darkness one of them fell to her death.

In the early 1900s, a team of University of California anthropologists did, indeed, find the skeleton of a young Indian girl at the bottom of the pit, lending credence to the old legend.

Finally, we found the way. Here is Andy looking down the pit.

One reason why the cave has a lock on it is because of monkeys spray painting their dates on rock...

Thanx guys...that looks awesome!

Looking down the pit, our head lamps couldn't reach the bottom...so I tied a knot at the end of the rope and dropped in to check it out.

Rigged up my ascenders and came back up to make sure the others felt OK about the whole thing...they did...and we passed the pipe around again before I got them all rigged up and ready to go.

Here's Cam going down.

And Andy.

They both went down without any knowledge of how to go up...big props to them for trusting me so much.

I thought about ditching them, but decided not to...

Looking down the pit while hanging 50 ft above Cam and Andy. We could easily see how a person could fall in...

And the three of us at the bottom...Andy is exhaling...it's not one a ghost of the indian girl.

cam going back up...

And Andy figuring it out...

It was good to see that Andy and Cam made it up with no problems since they had never used ascenders before. Let alone tried it in a dark cave. But as this was the only way out...they really didn't have a choice.

Andy glad to be out of the cave.

Cam sleeping on his queen sized air mattress while Andy is in the back seat of the car with the legs hanging out...

Bacon and sausage for brekky...as we omitted dinner due to extreme fatigue.

We went back down to the cave to "check out the cave during the day" ... and to take Daniel.

And found a millipede.
Due to their lack of speed, millipedes' primary defense mechanism is to curl into a tight coil—protecting their delicate legs inside an armoured body exterior.

Many species also emit a somewhat poisonous liquid secretion or hydrogen cyanide gas through microscopic pores along the sides of their bodies as a secondary defense.

And the best group shot in a cave.

Some cool cave formations

Daniel looking back in from the outside of the cave.

The cave is definitely not a place to go if you are big...you'll get stuck.

Seriously.

After not sleeping most of the weekend...I crashed hard on the way home...(still got mud on my stomach)

Got woken up for some authentic mexican food in Williams (Torta!)...and went right back to sleep.